<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>The Cipher Hybridization Project - Chapter 2: Rising Complications by Lokoman82delta</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26069353">The Cipher Hybridization Project - Chapter 2: Rising Complications</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lokoman82delta/pseuds/Lokoman82delta'>Lokoman82delta</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Cipher Hybridization Project [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Transformation</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 12:27:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,425</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26069353</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lokoman82delta/pseuds/Lokoman82delta</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Emily awakens in a strange cave, and is quickly forced to adapt to her new body as she's tracked down by a few mysterious people. But what happens when her former rival gets involved?</p>
<p>Please join our series' DeviantArt Group: https://www.deviantart.com/cipher-ball-project/</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Cipher Hybridization Project [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1659475</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Cipher Hybridization Project - Chapter 2: Rising Complications</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Research Log 80320: Prototypes of the Hybridization Device have been shipped to various retailers across the region, under the guise of regular shipments of Pokeballs. The ratio of our devices to actual Pokeballs per shipment is rather minuscule, about 1 to every 100, to prevent mass panic and discovery of our experiments. Members of our hired help have been dispatched to trace the signals our devices emit upon activation, and to apprehend any subjects who succumb to the changes.</p>
<p>Interview 1- Emily Matthews (Cont.)</p>
<p>Det: So, that’s how you ended up as a Lycanroc? You just… Happened across the Cipher Ball amongst all of the others and ended up transformed into the Lycanroc you attempted to capture?<br/>EM: Yes, thaaaat’s… clearing of throat Yes, that’s correct. Thankfully, that Lycanroc was able to prevent those Rocket Grunts from kidnapping me, too. I don’t knoooow where I’d be if not for him.<br/>Det: Indeed. I’d actually like to hear more about this particular Lycanroc, and how you came back into contact with Mr. Collins after you were transformed.<br/>EM: Mr. Collins? Oh! You mean Maaaark. Clearing throat again Yeah, of course.</p>
<p>	After a short while, I awoke in a rather dark, cold cavern. My now much more sensitive nose also indicated that it was rather damp, as I could smell the water on the walls and such. Realizing this shook me out of my daze, and I sat up with a start, looking myself over as if to confirm my fears. And confirmed they were- My body was still that of any other Lycanroc, from head to furry tail. I put a paw to my head as I tried to sort through my memories, recalling what had brought me here. I’d been turned into a Lycanroc by that strange Pokeball, Cinder had gone nuts over it and felt guilty, I’d collapsed… And then that other Lycanroc showed up just before I passed out.<br/>	Wait. That other Lycanroc… Had he taken me somewhere? I sniffed at the air for a quick moment, trying to discern his scent. The dampness of the cave masked most of the outside scents rather expertly, but there was one rather prevalent scent above all the others, and it was indeed that of the Lycanroc. Why was it so strong though? Even if he was present, it shouldn’t be that strong, right? Unless… Was this his den? If so, I was in major trouble. And unfortunately, that was the only answer I could think of at the moment- the only one that made real sense.<br/>	As if on cue, a shadowy figure parted the light streaming in through the entrance, and the scent of the Lycanroc became ever stronger as he finally came into view, his piercing red eyes striking terror directly into my heart. Oh Arceus, have mercy! He was going to kill me! Was this how it ended? Dying in a body that didn’t even really belong to me? No one would be the wiser, I would just perish alone, and~<br/>	Plap<br/>	The Lycanroc tossed something right in front of me. Looking down at it, it appeared to be… A hunk of meat? Sniffing at it triggered something in my brain almost immediately. I only then realized how hungry I was, and though the meat was raw, it seemed oh so appetizing, given my new instincts. I hesitated for a moment, though, to see if the Lycanroc was going to do anything else. He simply stared at me for a moment, confused.<br/>	“Eat,” he growled, pointing to the meat with a clawed digit. The gruffness of his voice indicated that he was male. I eye the meat once again, trying to ignore the fact that it was likely fresh, and picking it up by one of the bones nervously. I tilted my head curiously as I tried to discern how to eat it in this form. I didn’t have silverware or a plate or anything, but it was so degrading to simply eat it like... Well, like a real Pokemon. <br/>	“Eat,” the Lycanroc repeated simply, tilting its head in confusion. “Aren’t you hungry?” I breathed a short sigh, swallowing my pride (and swallowing quite literally) before reaching out with my canine jaw and tearing a bit of the meat off the bone and into my predatory jaw. As I chewed and tasted the flavor of the meat, I quickly found that I couldn’t stop! My hunger was simply too great, and the meat was fresh! I ravenously devoured the rest of it, neglecting all my human mannerisms and succumbing purely to my new instincts.<br/>	Before long, I had finished my meal, with the Lycanroc observing the entire time. However, almost as soon as I finished, the Lycanroc turned to depart, muttering a quick “Stay here,” before vanishing into the daylight beyond the cave. It was only here that I realized how unsurprised I was that I’d been able to understand the Lycanroc. Sifting through my memories once more, I tried to recall some of the smaller details that had led up to my transformation. Let’s see… Electric shock from the defective Pokeball when I tried to catch the Lycanroc, and as we walked back to town I’d started to understand what Cinder had been saying- Oh, Arceus, Cinder! Where had that little Fennekin gone off to after I’d transformed? Presumably, the Lycanroc had scared her off. I just had to hope she was somewhere safe, and that I’d be able to find her eventually. I was tempted to go out and search for her now, but… Did I really want to betray this Lycanroc’s trust? They’d taken me in after I had been transformed, even after I’d tried to capture them, and were helping to nurse me back to health. Perhaps they could help me get used to this new form?<br/>	But then there was the matter of becoming human once more- Something told me that the sooner I left and found Cinder again, the better shot I’d have at becoming human again. I couldn’t stay here forever learning to use a body I hopefully wouldn’t have for much longer. Slowly, I rose to my newly digitigrade legs and made my way to the entrance of the cave, struggling to walk for a bit, but eventually managing to do so just fine. When I finally reach the entrance, I find a variety of scents flowing into my sensitive nose- so many it was nearly overwhelming. The freshest scent was of the Lycanroc going off in one direction, but there were so many trails of his scent going in and out of the cave that it was difficult to tell exactly where he had gone. I didn’t know exactly what trail led to that clearing where I’d transformed, but my best bet was to just follow them until I found it. It couldn’t be too far away, right?<br/>	And so, I set out, following one of his earlier trails in hopes of finding my little lost Fennekin, but as I follow the trail my canine ears perk up, hearing something out in the distance. Someone… talking? I slow my pace and take cover, trying to listen in to what these people are saying, even though I can’t see them yet. Better to take cover just in case, so I don’t end up getting captured. That would make becoming human again significantly more difficult.<br/>	“Are you sure the signal was reading all the way out here?” One of them asks the other. Based on their scents, it appears that it’s just the two of them right now. “Seems a bit off the beaten path for Cipher to have shipped all the way out here.”<br/>	“You forget that they’re the biggest Pokeball manufacturers in the world,” the other, a woman, based on the pitch of her voice, replied. He seemed to be a superior of some sort to the first one. “They’ve even got some reach in other regions, though they haven’t included the, ah, special ones in any of their international shipments yet. All the better for us.” She carries a strange looking device in her hand, almost like a dowsing machine, but not quite… Though they do appear to be tracking something. Their conversation stops though, as the man reaches down to pick something up. It was only then that I truly realized where I was: I was right on the edge of the clearing! I’d gotten lucky! As soon as these guys left, I’d be able to try and find Cinder! However, the overwhelming joy I’d felt at this revelation all drained away almost instantly when I saw what it was that the man had picked up.<br/>	“You think this is it, boss?” The man asks, turning to her superior with the Pokeball in hand- the same Pokeball she’d used to try and capture the Lycanroc earlier. The one that had ended up defective and shocked me. Why were they so interested in it?<br/>	“Hand it over,” the woman responded, holding out her gloved hand and taking the ball from her subordinate. Both of them were dressed in casual clothes, but were much older than the average Pokemon trainer, probably being in about their mid-twenties. She plugs the end of the Pokeball into a port on the top of her tracking device, and appears to be downloading some kind of information from it. “Yes, this is most certainly the one we’re looking for. Now let’s see… According to the genetic information stored in the ball, we’re looking for a young female who ended up as a Lycanroc.” My eyes widened at this fact, and I began to back away. They were looking for me? A part of me thought they might be able to change me back, but my instincts told her to get out of there as quickly as possible. If they were able to track that defective Pokeball, and that was the thing that had transformed me into… This, then they were likely at least connected to the people who had done this to me. And whatever they intended to do once they found me couldn’t be good.<br/>	The woman removes a Quick Ball from her belt and tosses it at the ground, and in a flash of light a Furfrou appears where the ball had landed. She holds the defective Pokeball in front of the Furfrou’s nose, and it’s clear what she’s trying to do. I quickly decide not to  stick around and make it any easier for them to track me down. Unfortunately, I was a bit hasty in my departure, and created a rustling in some of the nearby bushes as I brushed against them. The Furfrou turns and glares, letting out a loud bark that I was too panicked to bother trying to understand, before it begins chasing after me. Stealth was clearly no longer an option, and I began running as far and as fast as I could. The Furfrou picked up it’s pace as well, and was quickly gaining on me as I ran, but on a whim I fell forward and began using all four of her limbs to run. Somehow, probably because of my new instincts, I was able to easily outpace the Furfrou like this- all I had to do was keep running. Weaving in and out between trees, bushes, and flora, easily outrunning the other canine Pokemon. I turned back and playfully stuck my tongue out at the creature, which only infuriated the Furfrou. Unfortunately, my lack of focus and exhilaration from my new abilities led me to trip on a tree root that stuck up from the dirt, sending me sprawling out onto the Route’s main path just ahead- and right in front of a trainer who happened to be passing by.<br/>	However, this wasn’t just any trainer- it was one that I was already very familiar with. It was my old rival, Mark. Mark had barely noticed me before the Furfrou caught up to me, standing over me and barking back into the woods, and based on the rustling and chatter I could tell that the Furfrou’s trainers were approaching. Mark was about to speak, it seemed, but before he could say anything the woman glares at him.<br/>	“Get lost kid, this ain’t a show,” she ordered venomously, before planting her boot down rather forcefully on my furry chest. She leans forward, eyeing me almost hungrily with her piercing violet eyes, and whispers, “Don’t you worry… We’ll take extra good care of you, little miss.” She snickers a bit, drawing a Pokeball from her utility belt, and I quickly realized what she intended to do. My eyes widened in horror, and I feebly squirmed and tried to escape.<br/>	“P-please… No…!” I stammer, practically on the verge of tears. I didn’t want to be put into that Pokeball! Who knew what they’d do to me? Experiment on me? Try to sell me as a real Pokemon? I wasn’t about to find out. But unfortunately, seeing as I couldn’t speak, the only thing that escaped my maw was a panicked whimper.<br/>	However, to my surprise, the woman turned and flung the Pokeball at Marc, who had remained there watching the ordeal in confusion. “I said get lost!” She screamed, and a barely visible jolt of electricity passed between the ball and Marc when it hit him in the face. Marc recoiled almost instantly, stumbling backward a few feet and holding his face.<br/>	“Ow! What the hell, lady? Fine, fine, I’m leaving…” He sighed in exasperation, turning around to make his exit- before suddenly clutching his stomach and bending over slightly, as if he was going to be sick. And then… he started shaking, as he fell forward onto all fours. He was panting heavily by this point, trying to catch his breath as he slowly began to shrink, his clothes becoming more and more baggy on him with every passing second. His arms and legs very quickly lost their dexterity, as his knees and elbows ceased to exist. However, his limbs were shortening as well, and his fingers slowly retracting back into his hands, their only remnants being three sharp pointed claws on the end of his new paw-like appendages. His legs and feet were undergoing a similar change, though they still remained much thicker in comparison to his hands, and the three claws on his new hind legs were much larger than the ones on his former hands. The skin on his changing limbs shifted to a pale blue color, becoming much tougher and more leathery.<br/>	I watched Mark’s transformation in horror, my maw slightly agape. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Mark (he was a bit too much of a social butterfly for my liking), but no one deserved to have something like this happen to them! It was almost exactly like what had happened to myself, except, well, not a Lycanroc. He was clearly becoming something else entirely. And, to my horror, I quickly realized that the woman’s subordinate was filming the entire scene! Clearly, these people had ill intentions, but given the woman’s rather forceful foot holding me in place, I had no choice but to keep watching- there was nothing I could do.<br/>	Mark’s transformation wasn’t slowing down, and he had quickly started realizing what was happening. “W-what the…?” He stammered, terrified, as he looked down at his transformed hands. Slowly, his face extended out into a short muzzle, barely visible in his own line of sight now, his teeth sharpening to fangs within his mouth.<br/>	“W-what did you do to me?!” He cried out as the changes progressed. The woman and her assistant neglected to respond, and simply watched, smirking. The blue skin proceeds up the back of Mark’s now much-smaller body- he was smaller than even I was now. Bony protrusions extend out, almost looking like spines, and darker blue spots surfacing on his legs as well. Mark, understandably, cries out in pain at this particular change.<br/>	It was at this point that a quick “woosh” could be heard, and a second later the weight of the woman’s foot was quickly lifted off of me as she was tackled to the ground by something as it jumped over me.<br/>	“Get it off, get it off!” She shouted at her subordinate, as her assailant clamped its mighty jaws down on her legs, drawing blood, as well as a pained cry from the woman. It took me a moment to realize what it was that was attacking her, but when I did I was surprised to find that it was the same Lycanroc that had taken me back to its cave! The one I had tried to catch earlier!<br/>	“Take him! Go!” It shouted at me, before digging it’s jaws back into her leg. After taking a short moment to process things, I nodded, and rushed over to get Mark as he’d ordered. Mark was almost as small as Cinder was, now, maybe just barely twice her size, and as such I could easily lift her thanks to my increased strength as a Lycanroc. His transformation had progressed further in some other areas, too. The only thing that remained unchanged was his upper back and parts of his head, and the leathery blue skin was creeping up into those areas as well. A short tail had also just begun to sprout just above his waist. His clothes no longer fit at all, and he was almost unrecognizable as human at this point. I scooped up his clothes as well before taking off. His belt had his Pokeballs attached, so we didn’t want to leave any of his Pokemon behind.<br/>	“Hang on, Mark… Just hang on!” I exclaimed, tears in my eyes, as I ran, trying to think of where I could possibly go. I couldn’t go back to town, people would think I was a wild Pokemon and try to catch me. I couldn’t stay near the main Route for the same reason. My next best option was to follow the trail of my own scent back to the Lycanroc’s cave, which I did. The woman and her subordinate were too distracted dealing with the Lycanroc to notice me leaving, thankfully, and I ran at top speed back toward his sanctuary.<br/>	Thankfully, I soon reached the cavern, and as far as I knew I hadn’t been followed. I gently laid Mark down on the stone floor, in absence of any more comfortable place to put him down. His transformation had finished by now, his ears having migrated to the top of his head and rounded out, and his two front teeth having enlarged to rodent-like proportions. He had passed out somewhere along the way, too, so it seemed like for now my only option was to stay here and wait until he woke up.<br/>	For what seemed like hours, I sat there next to him, contemplating the recent events. Today had to be the strangest day of my entire life. Turning into a Lycanroc, people trying to capture me for whatever reason, watching my rival turn into a Nidorina… It was all a lot to handle. It was almost evening by this point, the sun was beginning to set. Soon enough, however, I heard some rustling off in the distance. My ears swiveled to face the cavern’s entrance, and I sniffed at the air. The scent was familiar, thankfully; it was the scent of the other Lycanroc approaching. He eventually limped into the cavern, holding his shoulder gingerly with his other arm. He didn’t appear to have any broken bones, but he was scraped and bruised all over.<br/>	“...Should’ve stayed here like I told you,” He grunted, collapsing next to me with a huff. It was silent for a few moments, neither of us saying anything. Eventually, I decided to speak up.<br/>	“H-how’d you know those people were going to come after me?”<br/>	The Lycanroc scoffed indignantly. “They always do. I’ve seen people get turned into Pokemon like this before. Never occurred to me it was those weird-ass Pokeballs’ doing til’ you tried to catch me earlier this morning. Every time a human gets turned into a Pokemon around here, those wackjobs would show up to catch them and take them away somewhere else. I’m assuming you don’t know anything about what happened either?”<br/>	“N-no, I’ve got nothing…” I replied with a sigh. “Thank you for saving me, by the way.” <br/>	He grunts again. “You’re just lucky I made it there in time. That was really reckless of you, to go out in a body you’re unfamiliar with and cause trouble like that.”<br/>	“Actually, I was looking for my Fennekin… She was there when I transformed but I haven’t seen her since.”<br/>	“You mean the pipsqueak that was with you earlier?” The Lycanroc questioned, tilting his head. “Yeah… I’m sorry to say she was already gone when I found you. Her scent trail has probably gone cold by now.”<br/>	“I see…” I muttered solemnly. Now how was I supposed to find Cinder? The poor girl was probably scared to death, out on the route all alone. Or maybe she’d managed to find her way back to town? I could only hope my little buddy was safe.<br/>The cave was silent for a good while longer, until eventually we both heard Mark beginning to stir. I quickly looked down to him, as his eyes fluttered open.<br/>	“Ugh… Arceus, what happe-” he stopped himself as he took notice of his new body, looking down at his front paws in confusion. “Oh… That’s… that’s right…” It took him a moment to notice the two Lycanrocs beside him, and he flinched at their massive size. “Oh… Hello there.”<br/>For a moment, Amelia wanted to speak up, to say “thank god you’re okay!” but her social anxiety was already getting the best of her. Strangely enough, it hadn’t made itself known during the conversation with the Lycanroc, but she could worry about that later.<br/>	“You okay?” The Lycanroc asked in his gruff voice. “Sorry I couldn’t get there in time to stop them from turning you, kid.”<br/>“Yeah… how exactly did they do that, anyways?” Mark asked, seemingly more intrigued than concerned.<br/>“Hell if I’d know. They just zapped you with that weird Pokeball and before you know it you were turning into a Pokemon.”<br/>“That’s so strange…” Mark sighed, looking up to the Lycanroc that hadn’t spoken yet- myself. “Did that happen to you two as well?” It seemed my response was necessary at this point. I tried to reign in my nerves and speak.<br/>“N-no, just me, Mark…” he became visibly confused at the fact that I knew his name. “I-it’s me, Emily.”<br/>“Oh my god… Emily?!” He exclaimed, mouth agape with shock. “I’m so glad you’re okay! Y-your Fennekin came rushing back to town in a panic, and I followed her out here, and I found your clothes torn up and shredded on the ground, and, and… Hang on, I put her back in her Pokeball. Let me get her out for you.” The newly-transformed Nidorina clumsily rushed over to his old clothes, which I had dropped just a short ways away, and tugged one of the Pokeballs off of his belt with his somewhat-dexterous front paws. He quickly dropped it, though, and once it hit the ground a flash of light burst from within it, and the tiny Fennekin emerged, a dazzled look of confusion on her face.<br/>“Cinder!” I exclaimed, rushing over as quickly as I could, before dropping to my knees and lifting her up in a hug. “I was so worried about you! Are you okay? You’re not hurt are you?!” <br/>“I’m fine!” She exclaimed, accepting the hug. “I-I was more worried about you! You p-passed out, and I went to find someone to help, but when we came back you were gone!”<br/>“Y-yeah, this guy here came and rescued me,” I nodded in the direction of the Lycanroc. “Actually… I don’t believe I ever asked if you had a name.”<br/>	“Call me Grady,” he responded simply.<br/>“Got it… Grady, then,” I then returned my attention to Cinder. “I’m just so happy you’re safe…”<br/>“Hate to break up the reunion…” Mark stated, stepping up to the two of them. “But what do we do now? I mean, nobody else knows what’s happened to any of us. And those people might come back- they were trying to catch you for some reason, right?”<br/>“Yeah, they definitely were. And now that I know they’re the ones who transformed us, we’ve got to be a whole lot more careful. But then again… They might be our only shot at becoming human again.”<br/>“Well, it might be better to go after them ourselves, then. That way they’re not expecting it. But we don’t even know where they went.”<br/>“Yeah, their scent trail is probably gone by now, too…” I sighed, trying to think of any possible way we could track them down. Then, I recalled what they’d been talking about when I first encountered them. “Actually, they mentioned something about the Cipher Corporation when I was eavesdropping on them earlier. You don’t happen to know anything about them, do you?”<br/>Mark looked lost in thought for a moment. “Well, I actually grew up here in Kalos… I think… Yeah, that’s right! I went on a tour of some Pokeball factory back in elementary school, and I’m pretty sure it was owned by Cipher Co.! If I remember correctly, it was just north of Laverre city. So if we find the factory…”<br/>“We might find a way to make ourselves human again!” A somewhat-intimidating predatory smile crossed my face. But then, Grady stepped forward.<br/>	“Hang on just a second,” he began. “I know you guys wanna be human again, but you’ve gotta think- Laverre City is a long ways away, and you’re barely familiar with your new bodies yet. I don’t know much about Nidorinas, to be frank, but I should at least teach Miss Emily here how to defend herself before you guys go. That’s at least a week’s walk from here and I doubt those thugs are going to stop looking for you.”<br/>“Well… You’ve got a point…” Emily admitted. “I suppose I could stay here and let you train me for a couple of days. But… Wait a moment. Mark?”<br/>	“Yeah? What is it?” He replied, a bit confused.<br/>	“You’re a Nidorina now, but… Aren’t Nidorinas… all females?”<br/>	Mark’s face went pale almost instantly.<br/>	“...Shit.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello again! I'm SO SORRY for the long wait on this Chapter! Just been unmotivated ever since the pandemic hit, and other things have happened along the way... But Chapter 2 is FINALLY complete! I hope you guys enjoy it! I promise the next Chapter (probably) won't take so long to come out.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>